Insulated board having an integral drain

ABSTRACT

A foundation protective layer for installation adjacent a foundation wall of a building includes a thermally insulative layer comprising a layer of foam and an upwardly extending drain passage thereon to facilitate drainage of groundwater, typically into a french drain. The drain passage may be formed within a conduit or a strip of porous material mounted on the insulative layer. A channel may be formed in the insulative layer in which the conduit or strip of porous material is disposed. The conduit may have a corrugated sidewall which may be perforated or split along its length. The strip of porous material may be formed of a web of non-woven fibers. An attachment mechanism may be used for attaching the insulative layer to the foundation wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to insulative layers used in residential or commercial buildings. More particularly, the invention relates to such layers which include foam and are used on the outside of underground or foundation walls of such buildings. Specifically, the invention relates to such layers having an integral drain to facilitate the drainage of ground water into the drainage system associated with the building.

2. Background Information

Insulative layers such as insulated planks or boards are well known in the field of residential and commercial construction and are used internally and externally along various walls, beneath floors, atop roofs and the like. These insulative planks are typically formed of a rigid closed-cell foam which provides substantial thermal insulation. While the use of such insulative planks against foundation walls is known, one of the problems that arises relates to the drainage of ground water around these foundation or basement walls. Thus, there is need in the art to facilitate the drainage of this ground water into the drainage system of residential or commercial buildings. The present invention addresses this and other problems in the art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A foundation protective layer comprising a thermally insulative layer comprising a layer of foam and adapted to be positioned adjacent a foundation wall; and a first upwardly extending drain passage on the insulative layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a house having a foundation wall with which the first embodiment of the insulative plank of the present invention is used.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective of view of the first embodiment with the conduits shown separate from the plank.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 and shows the plank and conduits assembled.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the first embodiment of the plank showing a conduit in one of the channels of the plank.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 2 and shows a second embodiment of the plank with the porous strips separate therefrom.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 and shows the porous strips and plank assembled.

FIG. 5A is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view showing a portion of the second embodiment of the plank with a strip of porous material within a channel thereof.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top plan view showing the first embodiment of the plank prior to attachment to the foundation wall.

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 and shows the first embodiment of the plank attached to the wall.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view looking down on the foundation wall and showing plurality of the planks of the first embodiment attached thereto.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the plank of first embodiment attached to the foundation wall in a reverse orientation with the drain passage against the foundation wall.

FIG. 12 is similar to FIG. 8 and shows the reverse orientation of the plank on the foundation wall.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken on line 13-13 of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is similar to FIG. 11 and shows a third embodiment of the plank of the present invention attached to the foundation wall.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The first embodiment of the thermally insulative layer or plank of the present invention is shown generally at 10 in FIGS. 2 and 3; the second embodiment is shown generally at 100 in FIGS. 4 and 5; and a third embodiment is indicated generally at 200 in FIG. 14. Each of planks 10, 100 and 200 is configured to facilitate drainage of groundwater adjacent a foundation wall.

Referring to FIG. 1, a plurality of planks 10 are attached to the outside of a foundation wall 12 of a building such as a house 14 and in abutment with and covered by ground 16 or soil surrounding foundation wall 12. Wall 12 is commonly a basement wall found in the basement of house 14. When in use with foundation wall 12, planks 10 are disposed in a substantially vertical orientation, and the directional descriptions herein will be relative to the plank in this vertical orientation. Plank 10 has a top 18 and a bottom 20 (FIG. 9) defining therebetween a height of plank 10. Plank 10 also has lateral ends 22 and 24 defining therebetween a width of plank 10. Plank 10 has first and second substantially flat sides 26 and 28 defining therebetween a thickness which is substantially less than the width or height of plank 10. Although plank 10 may be formed in any size desired, plank 10 is often formed in relatively large sheets, for instance, wherein the width is between two and four feet and the height is approximately six to eight feet. These sheets or panels may be easily cut into any desired size. The thickness of plank 10 typically ranges from about one to four inches.

Plank 10 includes a layer of foam or may be formed entirely of a layer of foam. Preferably, the foam is a closed-cell foam which is substantially rigid. Most preferably, this foam is an extruded polystyrene although other possibilities include expanded polystyrene, polyurethane and polyisocyanurate. Extruded polystyrene tends to have better moisture resistance than the others partly due to the fact that it has a smooth continuous outer skin. A suitable extruded polystyrene is sold by Owens-Corning. These foam boards or planks may be formed with various strengths, typically ranging from 20 to 100 psi. The foam density is typically within the range of 1-2 pounds per cubic foot and typically about 1.5 pounds per cubic foot. Plank 10 has an R-value which typically falls somewhere in the range of 4-8 per inch.

In accordance with the invention and with reference to FIGS. 2-3A, plank 10 is formed with a plurality of drain passages to facilitate the drainage of ground water. A plurality of vertically elongated channels 30 are formed in plank 10 which extend continuously from top 18 to bottom 20 and inwardly from first side 26. Preferably, channels 30 have a dove-tailed configuration. More particularly, each channel 30 is bounded by a rear surface 32 and first and second side surfaces 34 and 36 which extend inwardly from first side 26 and angle or taper away from one another to back surface 32. Thus, each channel 30 widens as it extends inwardly from first side 26 toward second side 28. Although the size of channels 30 may vary, each channel 30 typically has a depth measured between back surface 32 and first side 26 of roughly 0.5 to 1.0 inch with a width which is also typically within that range.

A plurality of conduits 38 are disposed respectively within channels 30 and likewise extend from top 18 to bottom 20 of plank 10. Each conduit 38 has a substantially cylindrical side wall 40 which is typically corrugated and perforated. Preferably, each conduit 38 is press fit into a channel 30 with sidewall 40 abutting surfaces 32, 34 and 36 so that no adhesive or other attachment mechanism is needed to attach conduit 38 to plank 10. Conduit 38 may also be of a split type in which sidewall 40 is cut or has a slit formed along its length. Conduits 38 are formed of a non-corrosive material which is typically a plastic such as nylon, polypropylene, polytetrafluorlethylene (PTFE) or another suitable plastic. Side wall 40 defines a drain passage 42 extending from top 18 to bottom 20 of plank 10. While passage 42 may form the primary drain passage, other spaces within each channel 30 may also serve as drain passages. For instance, another drain passage 44 may be formed between side wall 40 and portions of surfaces 32 and 34. Likewise, an additional drain passage 46 may be formed between side wall 40 and portions of surfaces 32 and 36. An attachment mechanism typically in the form of glue or an adhesive 48 (FIG. 6) is disposed on second side 28 of plank 10. Adhesive 48 may be attached to plank 10 with a peel strip covering it to prevent it from sticking prior to use or it may be applied immediately prior to use.

Referring to FIGS. 4-5A, plank 100 is described. Plank 100 is similar to plank 10 except that it includes a plurality of channels 50 which are slightly different than channels 30. A plurality of strips 52 of porous material is disposed in channels 50. Similar to channels 30, channels 50 have a dove-tailed configuration which widens from first side 26 toward second side 28. Each channel 50 is bounded by a back surface 54 and first and second side surfaces 56 and 58 which angle away from one another as they move away from side 26. The depth of each channel 50 between back surface 50 and first side 26 is typically less than that of each channel 30 although this may vary. Each strip 52 has a generally rectangular cross section and is sufficiently flexible to conform to surfaces 54, 56 and 58 when inserted in channel 50. Each strip 52 is simply pressed into respective channel 50 and may be held simply by frictional engagement between the strip 52 and side surfaces 56 and 58 although the dove-tail configuration further provides an interference to help prevent removal of the strip from the channel.

In a preferred embodiment, strips 52 are formed of an abrasive non-woven web material such as that sold by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M) under the name Scotch-Brite®. Strips 52 are thus typically formed of a flexible web of convoluted fibers or filaments which are spot-bonded to one another. The fibers as typically formed of a plastic material such as nylon and are impregnated with an abrasive material which typically contains aluminum oxide. A drain passage 53 or a plurality of passages are formed within each strip 52 within the pores thereof, which in the preferred embodiment would be between the various fibers thereof.

The operation of planks 10 and 100 is described with reference to FIGS. 6-10. FIG. 6 shows plank 10 positioned adjacent foundation wall 12 with second side 28 and adhesive 48 facing the outer surface of wall 12. Plank 10 is then moved toward wall 12 as indicated at arrows A in FIG. 6 in order to attach plank 10 to the outer surface of wall 12 as shown in FIG. 7 with second side 28 abutting wall 12. This process may be repeated with multiple planks 10 to completely surround wall 12 as shown in FIG. 8. Once the soil is replaced, ground 16 abuts first side 26 and conduits 38, or strips 52 in the case of plank 100, and top 18 so that ground 16 completely covers plank 10 as shown in FIG. 9. When installed, bottom 20 of plank 10 is seated atop a french drain 60 which is in communication with underground drain pipes 62 some of which pass below wall 12 and a basement floor 64. FIG. 9 also illustrates that rainwater falls on and seeps into ground 16 as indicated at arrows B to become ground water which moves generally downwardly and toward planks 10 as indicated at arrow C. The groundwater then enters the various drain passages on plank 10 or plank 100 and moves downwardly therethrough as indicated at arrows D into french drain 60 and subsequently into underground pipes 62. The water is carried away from the building as indicated at arrows E.

FIG. 10 further shows that the rainwater indicated at arrows B becomes groundwater within soil 16 which then may enter into passage 42 of conduit 38 either via the upper entrance opening thereof as indicated at arrows F or from the sides of conduit 38 via the perforations formed therein as indicated at arrows G. The water then flows downwardly as indicated by the arrows within passage 42 and into the french drain as indicated by arrows H and into pipes 62 as indicated at arrow J. As previously noted with reference to FIG. 3A, additional passages 44 and 46 can also carry groundwater downwardly from above or from the side since the groundwater may seep around the sides of conduits 38, which may be facilitated by the use of corrugated conduits. In addition, the use of a split conduit will also allow for the flow of water into passage 42 via the split. With regard to plank 100, the water will flow in a like manner through passages 53 of strips 52.

While it is preferred that the passages of planks 10 and 100 are positioned away from wall 12 and toward soil 16 so that the groundwater therein may move into the drain passages laterally, it may also be desired to utilize plank 10 or similar planks with the channels and drain passages facing wall 12 (FIG. 11). In this case, the adhesive would be applied to first side 26 for adhering plank 10 to wall 12. FIG. 13 shows that when the planks are positioned as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 that the groundwater would flow primarily through the upper entrance of the passage as indicated at arrows K and flow downwardly through passage 42 into french drain 60 and pipes 62. This configuration thus facilitates the drainage of groundwater which is closely adjacent to the outer surface of wall 12.

As shown in FIG. 14, plank 200 combines channels and conduits on each side 26 and 28 to provide drainage as shown in FIGS. 10 and 13 at the same time. While FIG. 14 shows opposed channels and opposed conduits aligned with one another, they may be offset to maintain better thermal insulation properties and strength of the insulative plank.

Thus, planks 10, 100 and 200 provide an insulated plank or board which includes an integral drain passage to facilitate the drainage of groundwater into the drain system of the building in order to help keep the foundation wall and other foundation structures dry.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. 

1. A foundation protective layer comprising: a thermally insulative layer comprising a layer of foam and adapted to be positioned adjacent a foundation wall; a first upwardly extending channel formed in the insulative layer; a first structure disposed in the channel; and a first upwardly extending drain passage formed in the first structure.
 2. The protective layer of claim 1 wherein the foam is substantially rigid.
 3. The protective layer of claim 2 wherein the foam is a closed-cell foam.
 4. The protective layer of claim 1 wherein the insulative layer has first and second sides defining therebetween a thickness of the insulative layer; and wherein the channel extends inwardly from the first side.
 5. The protective layer of claim 4 further comprising a second upwardly extending channel which is formed in the insulative layer and extends inwardly from the second side; a second structure disposed in the channel; and a second upwardly extending drain passage formed in the second structure.
 6. The protective layer of claim 1 wherein the first structure is connected to the insulative layer without the use of a fastener extending between the first structure and the insulative layer.
 7. The protective layer of claim 1 wherein the insulative layer has a top and a bottom; and the first drain passage extends from the top to the bottom.
 8. The protective layer of claim 1 wherein the first structure comprises a conduit disposed in the first channel and defining the first drain passage.
 9. The protective layer of claim 8 wherein the conduit comprises a corrugated sidewall.
 10. The protective layer of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of perforations formed in the sidewall in communication with the first drain passage.
 11. The protective layer of claim 8 wherein the conduit is press fit into the first channel.
 12. The protective layer of claim 1 wherein the first structure is press fit into the first channel.
 13. The protective layer of claim 1 wherein the first structure comprises a strip of porous material disposed in the channel and defining the first drain passage.
 14. The protective layer of claim 13 wherein the strip of porous material comprises a fibrous material.
 15. The protective layer of claim 14 wherein the fibrous material comprises a web of non-woven fibers.
 16. The protective layer of claim 13 wherein the strip of porous material is press fit into the first channel.
 17. The protective layer of claim 1 further comprising an attachment mechanism on the insulative layer whereby the insulative layer is adapted to attach to the foundation wall.
 18. The protective layer of claim 16 wherein the attachment mechanism comprises an adhesive.
 19. The protective layer of claim 1 further comprising a foundation wall; and wherein the insulative layer abuts the foundation wall.
 20. The protective layer of claim 19 further comprising a french drain adjacent the foundation wall; and wherein the first drain passage is in fluid communication with the french drain. 